Teva and Styrolution team up to produce Spiromax dry powder inhaler

Published: 10-Nov-2014

They selected Novodur HD and Terlux HD medical grade styrenics materials

Israeli drugmaker Teva has linked up with Styrolution, a German supplier of styrenic materials for medical devices, to identify new materials for its Spiromax dry powder inhaler.

Teva had developed a simple and intuitive design for the Spiromax and wanted to source the right materials for it. The company selected Styrolution's medical-grade styrenics, Novodur HD and Terlux HD.

Novodur HD was used for the inhaler’s shaft because it offers a high surface quality, dimensional stability, heat resistance and robustness. Styrolution customised a particular shade of white for Teva as part of its HD Service Package.

Transparent Terlux HD was used for the mouthpiece, which, owing to its inherent impact strength and chemical resistance, contributes to the Spiromax’s accurate and consistent dosing, leading ultimately to a better patient experience. Terlux HD also lends itself well to self-colouring, making it possible for Teva to offer consumers an array of colour options to suit their individual tastes.

Novodur HD grades are acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) polymers which provide good stiffness, impact resistance, chemical resistance and dimensional stability. These properties, in combination with an excellent surface appearance, make Novodur HD suitable for medical device housings.

The high-gloss surface and feel also gave the products an additional perception of intrinsic value.

Terlux HD belongs to Styrolution’s family of methyl methacrylate acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (MABS) polymers, which offer excellent transparency, customisable toughness and good chemical resistance. Terlux can also be solvent bonded to other common materials found in medical applications.

Dan Buck, Teva's Head of Device Engineering, said: 'Clearly even the best design can only be achieved if you have the right materials. At Styrolution, we have discovered truly innovative material solutions that have helped Teva create a successful product that is a game changer in the inhaler market. Novodur HD and Terlux HD certainly deliver on the performance during production and patient use that we aimed to achieve.'

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